Weeding and cultivating attachment for tractors



July 10, 195B c. x. HosFoRD l WEEDING AND CULTIVATING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1949 Clare/ice X Has/ord 1N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY July w, 195B c. x. HosFoRD WEEDING AND CULTIVATING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed March 17, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C70/ ence Has/cord IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEEDING AND CULTIVATING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Clarence X. HosforcLRed Oak, Tex.

Application March 17, 1949, Serial No. 81,918`

45Claims. 1

This invention relates to `agricultural implements and more particularly'to a weeder and cultivator attachment for tractors.

The principal-object of the invention is to provide a cultivating attachment consisting of a pair of elements cooperating to turnsoil on each side of a row of plants in a circular motion toward the plants and thus remove noxious vegetation. Complementary to each of theaforementioned elements and disposed thereabove on the saidaxis is a blade adapted to rotate counter to the element and is` effective to divert excessive soil away from the plants in the row. All of the foregoing is accomplished in a single operation, leaving the row comparatively free of weeds and the plantsY in good stand.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a plow consisting of two pairs of soil engaging elements, each element yconsisting of a shaft carrying onits lower end an open disc adapted to operate in a plane inclined to the horizontal and surrounding the shaft is a hollow shaft carrying on its lower end a series of radially disposed blades adapted to rotate in a direction counter to that of the discin order to continuously thrust tion has further referenceto certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, `taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of aftractor showing an attachment thereon embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is aview of one `of the weeding and cultivating elements ins vertical section.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of the weeding and cultivating element on a slightly larger scale and rotated 90 from the showing thereof in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational View of the hollow shaft carrying the soil replacing blades.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of the invention in its entirety shown on a tractor disclosed fragmentarily in dotted lines, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral Ill denotes generally a tractor of Conventional manufacture.

"To each side of the front portionnof the tractor tractor.

AReferring now to the weeding and cultivating elements; it will berobserved in Figure 1 that these elements are arrangedin pairs, one pair on each side of the 4tractor and adapted toplow a row of plants. Each of the elements consists of a housing I8 having an arm I9 formed Aon the 4upper section thereof which is directed out- `wardly and upwardly Yand squared at its upper vend for adjustable reception by a clamp 2U (Figure 5) carried vby a hanger 2|. The hangers 2l are affixed to the 'underside of `mounting members I Iinispaced relationship.

Formed on rand depending from the lower section of each housing I8 is a tubular member 22 having an internal flange '23 at its lower end Which embraces a shaft 24 extending through the tubular member 22. rlhe lower lend of shaft 24 .is 'threaded yfor reception by an interiorly threaded boss25 formed in the center ofa disc plow 26, the latter having openings 21 therein to prevent accumulations of soil on the top thereof. As a further precaution against soil attaching itself to theupper surfaceby the disc, a scraper blade 28'isafxed at one end to a spacer flange 29, retained by threads exteriorly ofthe tubular member 22, and extendsradially outward to the outer edge of the disc. The blade 28 is of course stationary whilethe disc '26 revolves.

The ange 29 supports the lower vend of 'a hollow shaft 3U which embraces the tubular member 22 and further serves to'maintain spaced relationship betweenthe hollow shaft 30 and member 22 at their lower ends. Spacing of these elements at their upper ends is accomplished by an annular protuberance 3|, formed on the inner surface of the hollow shaft 30 near its top, as shown in Figure 2.

Surrounding the hollow shaft 30 at its lower end is a collar 32, secured by a set screw 33. A series of radial blades 34 are aiiixed to the collar 32 and are adapted to operate above the disc 26 for the purpose to be presently made clear.

At the upper end of the hollow shaft 3|) s formed a gear 35 With which meshes a gear 36. The gear 36 is mounted on a stub shaft 31, journaled in a bearing 38 formed on one side of the housing I8, as shown in Figure 3. The gear 36, in turn, meshes with a gear 39, mounted on the upper end of the shaft 24 which carries on its lower end the disc plow 26. The gears 36 and 39 are enclosed in the housing I8 and thus are protected against premature wear by the abr-asive action of soil.

Returning to the driving mechanism for the described devices; a pulley 40 (Fig. 3) is mounted on the stud shaft 31 and is driven by a belt 4I from a pulley 42 (Fig. 5), the latter, in turn, being driven from a pulley 43, mounted on the drive shaft I3. A belt 44 engages the pulleys 42 and 43.v

The pulley 42 of each unit is mounted on an individual stub shaft 45 and these shafts are each supported by parallel arms 46 which extend between the unit housing I8 and shaft 42 and a similar pair of parallel arms 41, extending between the stub shaft 42 and the drive shaft I3, as shown in Figure 5. The pivotal mounting 'of the pairs of parallel arms 46 and 41 make possible the vertical adjustment of the several vunits as provided for through the slidable connection between the arm on shank I9 and the hanger clamp 20.

In Figure 2 is shown the operating angle ofthe shafts of the units which issuch as to dispose the disc plows 26 in a plane slightly inclined to the horizontal so that soil displaced thereby will have a tendency to fall towards the row of plants being weeded. The discs of each pair rotate in counter directions as indicated by the arrows in Figures l and 2 and the rotation of each soil diverting element, that is, the blades 34 in relation to its respective disc is opposite to that of the disc. Such opposed rotation of the respective soil diverting elements insures that the plants fill not be covered up by the operation.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within tractor, a series of cultivating units depending in spaced relationship from said mounting members,

- each comprising a shaft, an open disc on the lower end of said shaft, a hollow shaft embracing said first shaft, a series of radially bladed elements carried by the lower end of said hollow shaft, a stationary tubular member intermediate said first shaft and said hollow shaft, a scraper blade on the lower end of said tubular member and overlying said disc and means actuated from said drive shaft for rotating said discs and said bladed elements in opposite directions.

2. An agricultural attachment for a tractor comprising a mounting and a series of soil engaging units depending from said mounting in spaced relationship, each consisting of a shaft, a disc on the lower end of said shaft, a stationary tubular member embracing said shaft, a scraper blade on said tubular member overlying said disc, a hollow shaft rotatably embracing said tubular member, a rotary bladed element carried by the lower end of said hollow shaft and means for rotating said bladed element and disc in counter directions.

3. A weeder and plant cultivator comprising a disc plow and a shaft therefor arranged to dispose said disc in a plane inclined to the horizontal, means for rotating said shaft, a hollow shaft rotatably embracing said first shaft, a stationary tubular member substantially coextensive with said hollow shaft and arranged between the latter and said first shaft, a rotary element carried by said hollow shaft having radially disposed blades operable above said disc plow, means for operating said rotary element in a direction counter tothat of said disc plow to divert from the plants excess soil displaced by said disc plow,

. and a scraper blade stationarily mounted on the lower end of said tubular element and disposed between the rotary bladed element and disc plow to prevent accumulation of soil on the latter.

. 4. An agricultural attachment for a tractor including a pair of cooperating soil engaging ele- 'ments, each consisting of a shaft, a disc supported on the lower end of said shaft in a plane inclined to the horizontal, a hollow shaft embracing said first shaft, a collar on the lower end of said hollow shaft having a series of radial blades thereon, a stationary tubular member substantially coextensive with and enclosed by said hollow shaft, a mounting afiixed to said tractor and supporting said pair of soil engaging elements,

- means for rotating the disc supporting shaft and y said hollow shaft in counter directions and means carried by said tubular member for scraping soil from the upper surface of said disc as the latter is rotated.

CLARENCE X. HOSFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

